Showroom FlyPT - 6DOF Brushless DIY Actuators

So I thought i'd managed to get to the bottom of this but still having issues sadly.

My motor is connected in the reverse sense with a belt drive. When powering on currently this happens for the calibration:
1: Moves to Maximum position limit switch
2: Moves to Minimum position limit switch and stops

If connected to mover then:
3:Moves in the incorrect direction down over the min position limit switch - instead to up to the central position.

Basically its reversed somehow and should be going to min first then max. I have tried swapping:
#define UP HIGH
#define DOWN LOW
This does make it move down first but it ignores the minimum limit switch and runs to lower hard stop as its looking for the max one.

I have also tried removing the "-" in this line:

ledcWrite(actuator[n][PWM_CHANNEL], 0);
actuator[n][MAXIMUM_POSITION] = -actuator[n][CURRENT_POSITION] / 2; <<<<<
actuator[n][MINIMUM_POSITION] = -actuator[n][MAXIMUM_POSITION];
actuator[n][CURRENT_POSITION] = actuator[n][MINIMUM_POSITION];
actuator[n][FOUND] = true;
found++;

I note as well the values in mover are reversed. When connecting a simple 1DOF direct to the actuator a value of -100 makes it go up and 100 down.

I realise I could rewire the actuator to swap the switches around but I have followed the updated schematics and im wondering if I will encounter future issues with the actuator being reversed.

Yes, SeatTime just pointed me the error in the direct this morning.
Give me some time (minutes), and will look better at your hardware problem.

Take as much time as you need, your help is always massively appreciated

I'm looking at it now. I'm a bit lost also

@robjos1 ,
Remember me the values you got for maximum and minimum.

So with the HIGH/LOW reversed the motor starts moving down for calibration (but its looking for max). I manually press the MAX limit switch and the motor reverses. It goes up until I activate the MIN limit switch. This outputs the values
Actuator 0: Minimum=-212 Maximum=212

If I connect mover the actuator completes the calibration and then returns to the midpoint as it should - Issue being that its reversed. I am getting a little bit of pulsing between two phases on the motor when at rest - can I tune the PID manually in the code?

Can do a video if it would help

You could make a video.
Do you have any load on the motor?
You can change the pid values in the code.

I'm looking at the code to see what to change, to make the actuator move the right way

Hi, this is great project. Thanks for sharing your experince with us.

You said in previous post "automatic pid value" on esp32. Can you share idea behind that ? And may be some Pseudocode ?

Thanks

No load on the motor. Its being run from a fairly low power supply but seems to run it ok for testing.

Just a basic auto tune

I'm preparing a specific source in Mover for this type of actuator, like I had in the old program.
We could adjust pid live.
The auto tune would be based in the readings we get from the actuator position, compared to requested position, and would be more to compensate for weight.
It would need a sequence of tests with the user sitting in the rig.
We just want to reach destination has fast as possible, and don't go over it, and avoid oscillation, all this could be tested with that sequence, or could even work totally automatic with normal use.
We would just set the desired maximum speed.
This could also help in having all actuators moving in synch, that was somehow achieved by automatic speed calculation in the old program.
In a hexapod, moving to a specific pose, some actuator cá move 200mm, while others, just 50mm. To make them reach destination at the same time, speed was automatically calculated from the feedback received from the actuator.
I can move the actuators just with speed, instead of position, by receiving their position as feedback.
Two way communication.

Sorry. I'm on the phone and there might be errors in the text...

It sounds good, Im looking forward to it. You mentiond before about the different PID control when actuators going up and down. Now because of the rig load, actuators are going down faster than going up. As you said its very comlicated to make in the code. How do you see now?

Simpler

I'm so sorry, got other things in the way and forget to come back to your problem.
I could not get near the rig to make some tests, but from what I see, changing directions should be enough:

Replace this:
#define UP HIGH // Define to set up direction as HIGH
#define DOWN LOW // Define to set down direction as LOW

with:
#define UP LOW
#define DOWN HIGH

I know you already have done it, but it should be enough.
If you get the calibration correct, you can change this code to make it drive the right direction:

change from:
// Apply changes to motor controller
// =================================
if (actuator[n][SPEED] > 0)
{
ledcWrite(actuator[n][PWM_CHANNEL], actuator[n][SPEED]);
digitalWrite (actuator[n][DIRECTION_PIN], UP);
}
else
{
ledcWrite(actuator[n][PWM_CHANNEL], -actuator[n][SPEED]);
digitalWrite (actuator[n][DIRECTION_PIN], DOWN);
}

to:

// Apply changes to motor controller
// =================================
if (actuator[n][SPEED] < 0)
{
ledcWrite(actuator[n][PWM_CHANNEL], actuator[n][SPEED]);
digitalWrite (actuator[n][DIRECTION_PIN], UP);
}
else
{
ledcWrite(actuator[n][PWM_CHANNEL], -actuator[n][SPEED]);
digitalWrite (actuator[n][DIRECTION_PIN], DOWN);
}

In the end, I think you have the switches swapped

Updated the post with the code in the first page.
Now with the latest version and comments updated for Mover.
Also prepared to post a new code version for PID calculation in the PC. (soon)

Hi Flypt ,
Made some turns on my sim rig yesterday and no errors with data sent ( Thanos board , esp32 board ), but one moment Mover frozen . No problem on my sim rig , last position frozen and switch off to go back to start position .
I had to close Mover with task manager , app frozen but not seen into task manager that Mover won't respond .
It's maybe my PC , I don't know .
Cheers
Edit : just watched new release Mover 2.9.7 , will give a try an report

Did you press the Output hotkey?
Happened to me using a wireless keyboard.
You can set it in the options.
Latest version allows you to do it with joystick buttons also. But there's a bug that makes the setup loose the hotkeys info.
I will publish a new build today with than one solved and some other small problems.

What is the Output hotkey ? where did you setup this ?
And yes I have a wireless keyboard
Ok thanks

It’s default combination to activate sources or connecting to the controllers. Alt-O Alt-S. You find them under options. The question is if you didn’t pressed those unitentonally.

In the options, you can set a hotkey to start/stop sources and another to start/stop outputs.
By default it's Alt+S and Alt+O

In the last version, besides keyboard, you can also set joystick buttons (with bug, does not store preference in setup)

So if you inadvertently pressed the key, it stops the output and goes to park position

Ok thanks to clarify this !
I don't think that the problem comes from hotkeys , as I said Mover frozen , unable to do something , Mover wouldn't responding .